AuthorTopic: Dual boot WindowsXP and VL [SOLVED] (Read 14725 times)

Hello all,On a Laptop Dell Inspiron 2500, with 20GB hard drive is Windows XP installed.I resized the Windows partition to 10GB, so I have 10GB for VL.I got stuck with the installation at the question where to install LiLo.

I have 4 otions:MBR Install to Master Boot RecordSector Install to boot sectorFloppy install to a formatted floppySkip Do not install LiLo

I want to use only option MBR or Sector

Where do I have to install LiLo to have the opportunity to select between Windows and VL when starting the computer?

« Last Edit: May 18, 2008, 09:13:06 pm by Cariboo »

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Life is full of setbacks; Success is measured by the way you deal with them!

Installing LILO in the MBR or on a floppy will give you the option to choose either OS if that's what you want to do. When you're setting up LILO you'll have a chance to select what operating systems you want to be able to choose when you boot.

I would just like to add that I have WindowsXP installed alongside Vector SOHO 5.8 on my old laptop - boot-choice is done by LILO in MBR, and I've had no issues. The first version was set up by the LILO auto-config, which worked out of the box, and I've since added passwording and an option to boot from a USB device.

What I'm saying is, by all means, back up your XP data if you don't want to lose it, but the most likely outcome is that you will have a perfectly functioning bootloader which gives you the option of Vector or XP if you install to MBR.

There is a step in the installation procedure which enables you to check the Vector disk to make sure it's OK and the drive is reading it properly, and it's probably worthwhile doing that.

Thanks Colonel Panic,I'll follow your suggestion...I think the CD is alright, though, because it worked on other PC, but not on this Laptop, so you may be right, the culprit is the DVD drive....!?

EDIT: More Info

Sorry for not being clear enough....Installation from CD to a clear/formatted hard drive works well. VL runs perfectly after new installation.Restart and boot from hard drive works as well.But shutdown and restart does hang at line "Loading iSCSI transport class v2.0-724".

I found this in /etc/rc.d/rc.modules (which is the main system boot scrip)

This code has nothing to do with your problem for a few diff reasons:1) the kernel is still loading and has not ran any of the scripts on the system.2) the code block you posted is looking for a 2.4 series kernel and because none is present it will never execute.

If you can try one of the kernel boot commands I supplied to your other post (noapic or routeirq) and let us know if they have any effect booting the installed system we can help you further from there.

To make the mystery perfect, this is what happened next, after boot stopped:

1] I turned off/shutdown with the Power button...2] I turn the computer on...3] I insert a Knoppix 5.1 Live CD...4] I check the partition where VL is on by mounting this partition and reading, for example, the /etc/rc.d/rc.modules file...5] I unmount the VL partition...6] I select 'Restart'...Knoppix goes down...7] I remove the Knoppix CD... and press 'Enter'8] The LiLo menu comes up... and I choose "Linux"9] The system boots to the end and VL is up and runs again...

As I said, it is far beyond my understanding. At least, I know now how to save my VL installation

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Life is full of setbacks; Success is measured by the way you deal with them!

you are having a very odd situation there.I wish i could tell you exactly what was stopping the kernel from loading.The best course for you may be to compile a custom kernel with all of the scsi and sata drivers removed.

The best course for you may be to compile a custom kernel with all of the scsi and sata drivers removed.Uelsk8s

Thank you Uelsk8s, for taking time and dealing with this very strange behaviour!

Now you caught me with your recommendation to build a custom kernel.......You must know that I'm, right now, absolutely clueless when it comes to kernel issues.... I would like to do that, but this would mean, that you have to give a kind of a walk through....and that is probably to much to ask...

I wonder if there is anybody who has a Dell Inspiron 2500 with VL installed...It cannot be that I'm the only one on planet earth

Cariboo

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Life is full of setbacks; Success is measured by the way you deal with them!

Before I try that I want to bring to your attention what I observed...(I'm not sure if it is of any importance in this case):

The disrupted boot stops way before the line "Loading modules" on a normal boot.The screen SHOT shows the the information before boot stops.

Because it is not certain what happens and I don't want to loose my VL installation I'm very cautious. Therefore I didn't try yet and wait for your comment. Again, thanks for your help

BTWI found this and it looks the same as yours, except the kernel version:root:# find /lib/modules/ -name *iscsi*/lib/modules/2.6.22.14/kernel/drivers/scsi/libiscsi.ko/lib/modules/2.6.22.14/kernel/drivers/scsi/iscsi_tcp.ko

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Life is full of setbacks; Success is measured by the way you deal with them!